We shall now consider the second question mentioned in my last Post and it is:
Is God showing favouritism when he aligns “himself with a particular place, a particular people, and a particular political figure.” (# 4) See Psalm 132:13-16.
To answer this, we need to consider, as briefly as possible, the history of this relationship as described in the Bible.
It all begins with Abram (later called Abraham). We are introduced to him in Genesis 11 where we read in a genealogy that Terah became the father of Abram… Abram… married… Sarai [later called Sarah] … Terah took [them all] … and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. (vv. 27-31)
The next we read of him is in Genesis 12. This is when God called Abram to Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. (v.1)
The NIV Study Bible states that “Abram must leave the settled world of the post-Babel nations and begin a pilgrimage with God to a better world of God’s making.”
And his response? The story continues, So Abram left, as the Lord had told him… they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. (vv. 4-5)
Two key words come to mind when we think of this new relationship and they are “faith” and “obedience.” The writer of Hebrews says, By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8)
And with the instructions for Abram to go, where some amazing promises as follows:
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
God’s plan was certainly to bless this man who trusted and obeyed him, but much more than even this. His plan was to create from Abram (and Sarai) a great nation blessed by God that would eventually, through them, be a blessing to all peoples on earth. All this being necessary because of the sinful choice and dire consequences mankind had made earlier in their history as recorded in the earlier chapters of Genesis. “God’s original blessing on all mankind [Genesis 1:28] would be restored and fulfilled through Abram and his offspring.” (NIV Study Bible)
God’s promises continued to be affirmed through the ages in the lives of Isaac (Genesis 26:2-4), Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15) and Moses (Exodus 6:2-4). And then eventually we arrive at David and the promises as described in Psalm 132:11-12.
From here we need to press fast forward to the birth of the greatest “son of David” – Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Matthew there is again a genealogy and it reads:
This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob… Jesse the father of King David… the father of Solomon… Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:1-2, 6, 16)
The promise made to Abram, that all peoples on earth will be blessed through you, had now reached its climax in the birth of Jesus. Remember the words of an angel to “Joseph son of David, [when he said] do not be afraid… 21 She [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)
Jesus is the ultimate purpose in God’s choosing of Abram, then the offspring of Abraham and Sarah (the Israelites), then the “chosen land” of Canaan (Israel) and the Davidic kings. Jesus is the ultimate blessing for you and for me and ALL peoples on earth.
No “favouritism” in that!
Paul summarizes it in his letter to the Ephesians when he wrote:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ… 4 For he chose us in him… In love 5 he predestined us… 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins… 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will … to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:3-10)
Jesus was the fulfillment of the psalmist’s final words:
17 “There I will make the horn (strength) of David grow;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises].
18 “His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon himself shall his crown shine.” (Amplified Bible)
Have you experienced yet the rich blessing of knowing Jesus? Make today that day of salvation and blessing.
Worship and Wisdom - Psalms and Proverbs 